The lead singer in Kiss thinks band can live on without current members, him included, and that suits him fine

Might another reunion of the four original members of Kiss be possible?

“Never!” Stanley replied. “You only get so many opportunities and so many chances. And while I don’t wish (Frehley and Criss) any ill will at this point, you know, most people are fortunate to win the lottery once. When you win it twice, and throw it away, the opportunities are gone.

“Plus, everything that those guys did, unfortunately, jeopardized what I do. Those who don’t learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them. … The intent and spirit of what this band was founded on is more intact and alive today than ever. And it’s not because of the individual founding members or any of that nonsense, but because of people who have the passion, the love and commitment to live up to what Kiss is.”

The group’s next album, “Monster,” is due out Oct. 16. It features no-frills songs that are inspired, in part, by some of the bands that inspired the members of Kiss before Kiss existed. One number, “Shout Mercy,” suggests Stanley was a big fan of the blues-rocking English band Humble Pie, circa its galvanizing 1971 live album “Rockin’ the Fillmore.”

“I was there when they recorded it!” he said. “I was a huge, huge fan. I thought (lead singer) Steve Marriott was the ultimate showman/singer, and he turned a venue into an evangelical event. That’s one of those bands I still listen to.”

The new Kiss album also includes “Back to the Stone Age,” which features a stop-go guitar riff that evokes the MC5’s 1968 metal-meets-proto-punk classic “Kick Out the Jams.”

“I don’t necessarily like citing influences if they become a distraction,” Stanley said. “But we were in the studio writing the song, and Eric brought up the MC5. And, although we didn’t want to copy something, we certainly wanted to capture a primal kind of vibe that they had. One of the goals for me with the album was not to make a great Kiss album, but to make a great rock album that could stand with some of my heroes, the people that influenced me.

"You can’t re-invent the wheel, you can just make sure you make a great wheel. The goal was to make an album that really had the sense of what inspired me and the band in the first pace, not a tip of the hat, as much as making sure the DNA was there. And if it’s apparent to some, then that’s fine.”

And just how does Stanley make the distinction between a great Kiss album and a great rock album?

"I didn’t want the scope to be quite as narrow," he replied. "And with all respect to our past and previous lineups -- Eric has been in and out of the band for 20 years and Tommy’s been with us close to 10 years -- the band is capable of flexing our muscles a little more than perhaps in the past. And those influences are very healthy and solid for any band.